Smaller social sites – and how businesses are using them

  • Click here to read the main feature: benchmark your social media
  • O2’s head of social media gives his opinion on the value of the social web
  • Burberry has no problem in investing in social media, click here to see why
  • How does LinkedIn think it can improve your business? The social network’s director for marketing solutions tells all here

Instagram

Instagram

The photo-sharing network links to Twitter and Facebook and includes filters for people to show pictures to their friends. Brands are also using it, including Red Bull, which has nearly 1,000 followers, compared to its @redbull Twitter account with nearly half a million.

GetGlue

GetGlue

A social network based around entertainment, where users collect virtual – and physical – stickers for responding to content on the site. Brands such as MTV use it for talking about its programmes such as reality show Geordie Shore, and users can check in for exclusive video streaming, coupons and downloads. Pepsi partnered with the site during this month’s Super Bowl. Users could get video content and buy-one-get-one-free vouchers.

nimble

Nimble

Combines social media with CRM (customer relationship management), keeping users’ email, calendar, social and business networks in one place. When a business user contacts someone, it shows all previous communication, plus what the other person is doing on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

PI

PeerIndex

Measures someone’s social influence, based on their activity and following on social media sites, which is presented as a score out of 100. Influential people can be given rewards by brands. Brands can use it to identify influencers or ‘opinion leaders’.

Pinterest

Pinterest

Calls itself a virtual pinboard, where users can ‘pin’ their favourite pictures, recipes, clothing or quotes to share with others. It can be used for work purposes – where people can save references all in one place. While it isn’t yet open to brands to build profiles, a report published earlier this month by Mashable.com shows it drives more traffic to third-party websites than Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube combined.

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